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Xinhua reports that technology giant FoxConn, which manufactures products for Apple and other computer companies, plans to replace a portion of their workforce with robots, with a goal of having one million robots in place in their factories within three years.
According to the company's founder and chairman Terry Gou, the
robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers.
The company currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to Gou.
Foxconn is currently employs 1.2 million people.


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Skyfire, the mobile browser that will magically transcode Flash vids into an HTML5-friendly format, is coming out on the iPad, complete with said magical Flash transcoding abilities.
Giving Optimus Prime a Proper Back Story | io9 Interview
Wired says it will have all the same functionality as the iPhone version, plus it will have the ability to natively display Twitter, Facebook and Google reader feeds, you know, if you cant be bothered to launch the apps. The app should be available before Christmas for around $5. [Wired]

domain: news


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If you haven’t already felt like you’re constantly getting ripped off during every trip to the grocery store, social media users are drawing attention to what they say is a whole new way for manufacturers to screw customers over while raking in even higher profits—a term one Redditor has coined “trickflation.”
A post to the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit last month from u/inasimplerhyme featured two cans of Coca-Cola, each boasting 12 ounces of the drink, but in blatantly different can styles. One is the familiar shape most sodas have come in over the years, while the other is a taller, more slender can.
Underneath, the Redditor wrote that the original can only cost $1.05, while the new one cost $2.37, despite containing the same amount of Coke.
There are definitely some questions raised by the post itself, including where the prices came from and if they apply to cans of Coke sold in a multi-pack or individually. It also claimed that the shorter can has been discontinued, but it appears that is only the case in certain countries for the time being.
At any rate, slim cans in general are not new. Last March, CNN alleged that the reason they are growing in popularity for a combination of reasons: they attract more health-conscious consumers, are seen as “premium and innovative,” and more can fit on store shelves and in transportation trucks.
Still, the possibility that this is or will be used to trick customers into paying a higher price for the same familiar product hasn’t seemed to faze anyone.
TikToker Pete (@earlypete) called attention to the post and the idea of “trickflation” in a video, noting that “the grocery industry apparently thinks the average consumer has the intelligence of a 6-year-old child,” while also calling out other deceptive practices that have frustrated consumers over the years. Namely, he pointed to “shrinkflation,” where the amount of product decreases while the price stays the same, and “skimpflation,” where lower quality ingredients are eventually subbed in (and the price stays the same).
We all know about “Shrinkflation”. Can I coin the term, “Trickflation”?
All of these practices combined are leaving customers on edge and assuming the worst intent at every turn.
“I literally work at a Coke distribution warehouse and we hate these new cans! But yes… that’s EXACTLY what they’re for,” one commenter claimed.
“I used to go to the grocery store and just put items in my cart and be on my way,” wrote another. “Now I’m carefully examining products and figuring out which size [has] the best $/gram. It’s exhausting.”
“This is actually so you get used to the new diameter of the can, so when they drop to 10 ounces they will look the same height as old can but now only as wide as the new can,” a third suggested.
@earlypete If it didn’t make me so angry, I would honestly be impressed with the creativity the grocery industry comes up with to rip us off ##foodfacts##groceryhaul##exposed ♬ In The Hall Of The Mountain King/Grieg – もつ
Another user kept it even simpler, stating, “We just can’t buy anything anymore.”
In February, Coca-Cola reported earning higher quarterly profits than anticipated, despite selling a lower volume of product overall. How is that so? Well, they raised prices, of course.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Coca-Cola via email and Pete via TikTok comment.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.


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, the AIM listed manufacturer and specialist design-in distributor to the electronics industry, posted stronger revenues and profits for the year in its final results on Tuesday.
Revenues were up 22% to £56.3 million and profits before tax were up 18% to £3.5 million, after it saw a significant increase in sales. The company said that its Value Added Distribution division delivered close to 25% organic growth.
Solid State also saw its gross profit margins increase slightly to 29.1%, up from 27.5%. The company said margins were driven by concentrating on higher “added value” business, re-focusing the manufacturing division and adding a new value added facility in Weymouth.
It also acquired Pacer Group, which it called a “complementary acquisition”, bringing it into opto-electronics market, in November 2018.
Commenting on the results and prospects, Tony Frere, Chairman of Solid State said: "The financial year ended 31 March 2019 has seen the Group deliver its best ever performance in terms of both revenue and profit from the core business”
Shares in Solid State were trading 6.69% lower at 464p after the release of the results
Tony Frere added: "Our strategy is to deliver growth both organically and through acquisition. These results illustrate our success in both aspects, and our continued commitment to deliver on this strategy and our aspiration to double the size of the business.”
He said the company’s open order book at the end of May was up 56% on the prior year at £35.9m and that the acquisition of Pacer was a large contributor. The like for like open order book was up 20%.
Solid State also increased its dividend to 12.5p up from 12p and said it is on track to deliver in-line with expectations.
Follow News & Updates from Solid State here:
The information, investment views and recommendations in this article are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing in this article should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engaging in any other transaction. Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the writer but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments. Vox Markets may receive payment from companies mentioned for enhanced profiling or publication presence. The writer may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion.
The UK intellectual property investment group believes this particular partnership will flourish, in part, thanks to UTEQ’s prime location in the “high-tech zone” of Queretaro, cultivating the region’s technology and innovation scene.
SP Angel research note on commodities and miners, featuring: Condor Gold (CNR LN) – Progress report on permitting IronRidge Resources* (IRR LN) – Zaranou license high-grade gold Petropavlovsk (POG LN) – H1 2019 production results Shanta Gold (SHG LN) – Ilunga underground mine achieved commercial production
BP is to expand its Brazilian biofuels business by combining it with a larger rival in a move that it said would help the transition to lower-carbon energy, British Airways is launching legal action to block its pilots from staging a potentially disruptive walkout this summer
SP Angel research note on commodities and miners, featuring: Galantas Gold (GAL LN) – Kearney Vein intersected on 1060 level of the Omagh mine Petra Diamonds (PDL LN) – Meets production guidance for year to 30th June Serabi Gold (SRB LN) – Production guidance maintained following Q2 results Tri-Star Resources* (TSTR LN) – SPMP report first antimony metal production


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The clothing franchise of #OldNavy is currently offering a full days pay to store employees to work election polls in November!
The official announcement was made on Tuesday noting that store employees that work the polls on Election Day will be paid for eight hours, reports CNN.
A spokesman for the company says employees, “will also be eligible for compensation from their local jurisdiction.”
Sources have confirmed that the Old Navy brand which is umbrellaed under the GAP obtains a total of over 50,000 employees across the country within 1,000 locations.
Together they’ve partnered up with Civic Alliance and Power the Polls to recruit 250,000 workers for Election Day. It has been indicated that due to the pandemic a few states have fallen short of pole workers.
“Every voice in this country matters and deserves to be heard at the polls, and if we at Old Navy can be even a small part of making that process more accessible to the communities we call home, we are on board,” states Nancy Green, head of Old Navy.


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Police: Three people took $5,000 in products from Ulta in Springettsbury Twp.
Police are attempting to identify three people who took more than $5,000 in merchandise from a beauty supply store in Springettsbury Township.
The incident happened Dec. 29 in an Ulta, located at 2835 Concord Road, according to a Springettsbury Township Police news release.
Two women and a man wearing masks were caught on the store's security camera.
Anyone with information is asked to call 717-757-3525 or email email@example.com.


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After Demonetisation MFI industry faced a problems but at Digamber Finance with a clear vision now the company has crossed 200 crore AUM as on 30th Sept 2017 with the view of closing it approximately near to 274 Crore in the same note as on March 31st, 2018.
Digamber Finance has shown a strength in the business and putting all efforts to keep their PAR low compare to other MFIs after Demonetisation.Company is now BBB Minus Rated company whereas the outlook is stable.
Care has reviewed the MFI Grading and now enhanced from previously assigned MFI 3+ (Three Plus) to MFI 2 (Two).It shows that the company improves his operations and sustainability.
Digamber Finance starts his expansion into six states in India in coming next six months DCL is expanding itself in new states further in coming next six months.Presently the company is working in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh and will be expanding further in Maharashtra, UP, Haryana & Punjab till Dec 2014.
CARE Assigns MFI 3+ grading to Digamber Finance.
It is proud to be announce that we put one step ahead towards the customer protections as giving them a Toll Free numbers across India also will available soon in different regional languages.Please note that the company has decided to move into Six different States till Dec-14.
There are no upcoming events at this time.


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There’s no other smart doorbell like it. But is that a good thing?
The M1 iPad Air can’t replace a MacBook Air, but it’s close.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects next-generation iPad Pro models to launch in the fall of this year, according to his latest
Chinese manufacturer Mifo was one of the first players to sport TWS earbuds. With its wildly popular Bluetooth earphones, it has built a reputation all over the world, a prestige that many other companies don’t have. Sport&outdo is mifo’s new created brand focusing on sports wearables and Mifo S is the main product of the […]
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a tool that helps to improve your online privacy and security. A VPN creates a private, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, routing all of your internet traffic through the VPN server. This means that your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and anyone else spying on your […]


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Virgin Voyages announced today that, following the ending of the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cruise line would be ending its pre-cruise testing requirement for sailings from the U.S. as of July 27, 2022.
This is the first cruise line to discontinue pre-cruise COVID-19 testing from a U.S. homeport.
Testing to End
In a statement on the “Voyage Well” page of its website, Virgin Voyages has confirmed it will end pre-cruise COVID-19 testing.
“In response to the discontinuation of the CDC’s Voluntary Program for the Cruise Industry, we’re updating our policies,” the announcement reads.
“We’re removing the requirement for a COVID-19 test to board as of 7/24/22 (for Valiant Lady) and 7/27/22 (for Scarlet Lady).”
While the Virgin Voyages fleet is small – just the two vessels – this is a significant step for the cruise industry.
Valiant Lady is the cruise line’s youngest ship, having just embarked on her maiden voyage in March, and she is currently offering 7-night roundtrip Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona.
A number of cruise lines in Europe have already ended pre-cruise testing on selected voyages in line with local protocols, including Azamara Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Viking Cruises, so this move is not as stunning nor surprising.
Scarlet Lady is the ship that U.S. cruisers will want to watch, as that vessel – the flagship of the Virgin Voyages fleet – is currently offering 4- and 5-night itineraries from Miami, Florida.
Pre-cruise COVID-19 testing has been required by all cruise lines sailing from U.S. homeports since the cruise restart began in July 2021. Now that the CDC’s guidelines are no longer mandatory but only recommended, cruise lines can update their policies on an individual basis.
Other Protocols to Remain
While the end of the testing requirement is a strong step, Virgin Voyages is maintaining its other health and safety protocols.
“We want our Sailors to be reassured that we have the strongest protocols in place to keep our Sailors and Crew well — including vaccine requirements, special air filtration, reduced capacity, and rigorous cleaning,” the website reads.
All guests will still be required to fill out pre-cruise health questionnaires, as well as abide by all local regulations, including mask wearing if required.
Virgin Voyages is requiring 90% of passengers to be vaccinated, and 100% of the ships’ crew is vaccinated. Other onboard protocols include frequent cleaning and sanitizing, improved air filtration, and various contact-less interactions to better promote social distancing.
A Unique Cruise Line
Virgin Voyages is uniquely poised to be the first to eliminate pre-cruise testing, not only because of the small size of the fleet, but also because of the nature of the adults-only company.
Not only must all passengers be over the age of 18 (therefore making all passengers eligible for vaccination), but the line also has fewer onboard policies and activities that could contribute to the transmission of communicable diseases.
For example, none of the line’s vessels has a buffet or any self-serve eatery option, therefore eliminating the risk from shared serving utensils or crowded serving stations.
The cruise also already leverages a variety of contact-less technologies to eliminate lines and crowding, such as Virtual Queues for onboard activities. This permits guests to maintain distance without missing any experiences onboard.
Virgin Voyages also led the way with announcing its health and safety protocols when cruising first resumed, so it is no surprise that this edgy line is the first to eliminate pre-cruise testing.
Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for updates and announcements on which cruise lines may be next!


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The co-founder of hybrid estate agency EweMove says if the newly-floated Purplebricks fails "the online agency game could be up."
Glenn Ackroyd, who describes himself as the Head Shepherd at EweMove, says he and his team admire Purplebricks for their website and stock levels, which he believes to be the best amongst the various high-profile online agencies.
He also praises Purplebricks' public relations and the skill with which they floated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market at a controversially-high figure of £240m.
"But then we read their prospectus and look at the numbers" says Ackroyd, who claims that Purplebricks has accumulated £13m in losses to date.
However, because of their high profile and pioneering flotation, Purplebricks is the flag-bearer "for all the other online agents ... desparate to float or be taken over before their last remaining funding runs out."
EweMove itself runs a mix of online sales with local representatives on the ground and some physical offices.
But Ackroyd reveals in an Industry Views piece on this website that he considered becoming an online-only estate agency two years ago - but rejected the move because surveys showed the public wanted on-the-spot expertise more than budget fees.
Ackroyd writes that in 2013 his team decided to create a low cost online agency, offering consumers what he calls "an eBay style do-it-yourself service" similar to many of the online agencies that have proliferated in the past two years.
"But we did an about turn for two very important reasons" he says.
Precisely what those reasons were can be found in Ackroyd's article, which you can read here.


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Animal charity opens store
A NORTH Somerset animal charity is hoping for a boost in funds with the opening of its first charity shop.
Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary has opened the store in Clevedon town centre selling goods including clothes, accessories and bric-a-brac.
The charity, which runs its sanctuary in Barrow Gurney, rehomes hundreds of unwanted and abandoned animals every year and is in need of donations more than ever before.
The recent recession has meant financial donations as well as gifts of animal food have declined rapidly and the number of animals being abandoned has also risen.
The new shop in The Triangle, Clevedon, was officially opened on December 10 by Linda Reeves who has donated her time to sort all the legal paperwork associated with opening a new shop.
You may also want to watch:
Anyone who would like to volunteer at the store can email the shop manager Rebecca at firstname.lastname@example.org
To find out more about Holly Hedge visit www.hollyhedge.org.uk
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- 4 WIN: Tickets to Cliff Richard live concert screening
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- 9 Coffee morning raises hundreds of pounds for two charities
- 10 Appeal after man injured in robbery


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MATCH MAKER: Bally is joining the coed club, with plans to show its men’s and women’s collections during a single presentation during Milan Women’s Fashion Week in February.
The decision is part of a new business strategy and a natural step, said design director Pablo Coppola.
“There is clearly a need to rethink the way we are showing collections. We have taken our time to address the evolving landscape, and this feels the right direction for the season,” he said.
The women’s and men’s fall press presentation will take place on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, at 28 via Brera.
Bally is among a host of fashion brands, including Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Gucci, that will make the switch to coed shows this year. Last spring Burberry unleashed an industry trend when it said it was showing men’s and women’s together on the catwalk. Since then, brands including Kenzo, Dsquared2, Bottega Veneta and Tom Ford have joined the fray.
Later this week, some 12 labels will be staging coed shows during London Fashion Week Men’s. They include Casely-Hayford, Christopher Raeburn, Sibling, Belstaff and Westwood, who is returning from Milan to the London runways with her men’s collection.
Bally’s latest strategy is not entirely new: Although it has always held separate presentations for men’s and women’s wear in Milan, its men’s wear presentations were often peppered with looks from the women’s pre-collections, including footwear and accessories. The collections also have similar inspirations.
Bally’s women’s resort collection, and the men’s spring one were both inspired by David Hicks interiors and Sixties-era Mods. During the presentation in June, Coppola said both collections had the same foundations. “It’s a very rich sauce, made from lots of ingredients: Studio 54 transferred to a ski resort, it’s David Hicks — and the Bally archive.” He added: “I never think archives should be sacrosanct — it’s good to look at them, and then play around with them.”


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26 Jul 2016
UK firm signs non-exclusive seven-year agreement with Taiwan’s Wah Hong Industrial.
Nanoco, the Manchester, UK, company that specializes in cadmium-free quantum dots (CFQDs) for display and lighting applications, has signed a long-term deal with a major Asian provider of optical films for displays.
Taiwan’s Wah Hong Industrial Corporation is the first to agree a non-exclusive deal with Nanoco since the latter switched to a non-exclusive commercialization strategy earlier this year.
While the specifics of the agreement have not been disclosed, the seven-year deal is known to involve an up-front payment for Nanoco’s red and green emitters, as well as a fee for delivering CFQD resin made at the firm’s facility in Runcorn, and further royalty payments on Wah Hong’s sales of processed resin.
Wah Hong is said to be one of the world’s largest manufacturers of optical films and sheets used in displays, and company president C. P. Yeh said in a Nanoco release:
“We are very excited about signing this agreement with Nanoco because it gives us the opportunity to provide our customers with Nanoco’s cadmium-free quantum dot product, which is the most advanced material for next-generation LCD displays.
“Display makers in East Asia are increasingly aware of the hazards of cadmium and we believe that this cadmium-free product will be an important driver of growth to complement our existing product range.”
Nanoco CEO Michael Edelman added: “This agreement marks our first since the company adopted a non-exclusive strategy in display with the objective of bringing our products to market quickly. We look forward to working alongside Wah Hong to drive the commercialization of our technology.”
The UK firm said earlier this month - in response to a sharp rise in its London-listed stock price - that it was in active negotiations with “a number of parties” about possible commercialization agreements.
The Wah Hong announcement appeared to prompt another uptick, and in the four weeks since the end of June Nanoco’s stock price has risen by around 75 per cent.
Back in March, Nanoco revealed that it had changed the terms of its agreement with long-term development partner Dow Chemical from exclusive to non-exclusive. While that means lower royalty payments from Dow, and no possibility of future earn-out income, the CFQD maker reckoned the switch would allow it to “maximize the roll-out” of its technology.
CEO Edelman said at the time: “We believe this is a very significant development for Nanoco as we are gaining greater control over the commercialization of our technology in display against a very positive market backdrop.”
While QD-enhanced LCD televisions are rapidly gaining traction – analysts at DisplaySearch recently forecast that nearly 19 million such displays would ship in 2018 – the relative benefits of the specific type of QD remains a bone of contention among suppliers.
Nanoco and other CFQD developers claim that their technology is more environmentally friendly than, and performs just as effectively as, the older cadmium selenide (CdSe) QDs that have featured in most display applications thus far.
However, makers of CdSe-based QDs maintain that CFQDs are inferior in terms of display performance and efficiency – meaning that, counter-intuitively, CFQD-based displays consume more energy and contribute to more cadmium being released into the atmosphere via greater consumption of fossil fuels in coal-fired power stations than the tiny amount used in QD production.
The confusion has not been helped by a recent report from consultants at the Öko Institute for Applied Ecology that made different recommendations on the application of cadmium-based and cadmium-free QDs in the displays and lighting markets.
That report was instigated after the European Parliament overwhelmingly rejected a European Commission decision to extend an exemption on the use of cadmium-based QDs in displays, despite a general ban on cadmium in manufacturing because of its high toxicity.
Nanoco is also working on CFQD applications in lighting – where it has collaborated with Osram – as well as in solar energy and life sciences.
In its April 2016 trading update the UK firm reported a pre-tax loss of £6.3 million on sales of only $290,000 in the six months to January 2016.
But Edelman said at the time that the new non-exclusive licensing strategy gave Nanoco greater control over the commercialization process, opening up new sectors within the displays market – such as high-end PC monitors.


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Barbie is every girl’s favorite doll and a name associated by some as the “ideal image” of a woman. Barbie debuted March 9, 1959 and for decades her image changed only slightly. She wore updated clothes or maybe appeared with new face shape, but for many years remained blonde, white, tall and skinny.
Christie, the first African American Barbie, was introduced in 1968 and she received a makeover in the ’80s. Since then, the Barbie market has been dominated by the original white Barbie.
With today’s critical media and social groups, the Barbie brand and Mattel have been harshly criticized for discriminating against what women “really” look like. Barbie presents what many have come to perceive as the perfect example of a woman.
In 2016, Barbie decided to make a change. Mattel has now released new Barbies that include more realistic body types. You can now find Barbies in multiple skin tones that are petite, tall or curvy.
According to a report by CNN the new Barbie now comes in seven skin tones and four different body types. The new Barbies are also available with a range of eyes colors and hair styles.
Since their release this year, Mattel has garnered positive feedback especially from people hoping it will serve as a plus for young girls’ body image.
Thank you @Barbie , I'm officially excited & proud to buy my daughter a barbie one day!
— Johnalyn Peluso (@Johnalyn_Lee) January 28, 2016
Kids are also excited about having dolls that actually look like them.
These new dolls are doing wonders for the Barbie brand image as well as Mattel. Non profits like the Born This Way Foundation are giving them significant media attention.
— Born This Way (@BTWFoundation) March 19, 2016
Personally, I think this is a great move in addressing harsh public criticism about body image and Barbie’s role as a mentor of sorts for young girls. The campaign itself had solid research behind it from children and child physiologists. The website and commercials for the new dolls have been well received.
Overall, I see this campaign as successful in today’s market and I think parents will be more inclined to purchase these new dolls.


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A recent article over at People.co.uk has reported that none other than her royal highness has been playing the Wii.
At Christmas, Prince William had recieved a console from his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, along with the popular Wii Sports game. It has been said that The Queen was playing Wii Bowling...
What do y'all think? Wii takes another turn.


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The government plans to be a little more careful this time around as it hands out money to struggling small businesses as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Some changes have been made in this round to ensure these federal dollars go to small businesses that prove they need the money.
We Grow Microgreens, a Boston-based urban farm, is one of perhaps millions of businesses hoping to tap into round two of PPP loan money.
“I always had a dream of starting an urban farm,” said Timothy Smith.
Smith has spent the last few years working toward that dream, finally transitioning from being a teacher to an urban farmer last year.
“By October of 2019, we had a ribbon cutting with Mayor Marty Walsh,” said Smith.
The new neighborhood greenhouse had quick demand for its more aromatic and nutrient-packed vegetables. It was able to hire a half dozen part-time workers, with the plan to make them full-time soon, but the pandemic hit and the impact was instant.
“We had a number of loyal customers that continued to purchase at local farmer’s markets, but that being said, a lot of our customers were restaurants,” said Smith. “We lost some of that business.”
The Boston-based small business applied for a PPP loan under the CARES Act and was surprised to only get approved for $810. Smith was even more surprised to see large businesses getting millions, since the PPP loan program was intended mostly for mom-and-pop businesses like his. In fact, data released by the SBA shows more than $250 billion went to larger-than-intended businesses.
“I just hope in the next round they really consider the up-starts like us, and some of the very small businesses that also need to survive,” Smith added.
“I am optimistic that this money will get out relatively soon and to much more to companies that really need it,” said Todd McCracken.
McCracken is with the National Small Business Association and explained this latest round of PPP loans has new provisions. The provisions were added to ensure the new money actually goes to more small businesses like We Grow Microgreens.
Some of the new provisions include one that requires a business to prove a drop in revenue of at least 25% during one quarter of 2020. This hopes to ensure only struggling businesses get this money and get it first. There’s a provision that a business with more than 300 employees no longer qualifies for the forgivable loans. Previously, that was set at 500.
Another provision implemented by the government is that the maximum loan amount is now set at $2 million. That was previously set at $10 million, which led to bigger businesses taking the lion’s share of PPP loans in round one. To that end, the government has also put in provisions blocking large chains from qualifying for PPP loans in this round. Several major chains, including the fast-food chain Shake Shack, applied for PPP loans in the first round. Shake Shack returned the money, after news reports surfaced of the company receiving money intended for small businesses.
It is important to note that a major reason why the Paycheck Protection Program was created specifically for small businesses was because smaller businesses usually do not have as much access to borrowing in the way that larger businesses do. During this pandemic and economic downturn, it was critical for the government to ensure small businesses could borrow money to stay afloat. If most of that money was used to keep people employed, the government would forgive it.
“The other thing that they have done, and we are not sure how it is going to play out, is that they have done 'set asides' for small companies,” said McCracken. "So there is a pool of money specifically for companies with fewer than 10 employees, that only they can tap.”
If the new provisions work as intended, small business like the urban farm in Boston and millions like it around the country can re-hire workers, move part-timers to full-time, and help employees who have also struggled through this pandemic.


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Hewlett-Packard, which desperately needed a better communicator and executor of business strategy at the top of its organization, introduced its new CEO, Meg Whitman, to an audience of press and analysts on a conference call a mere one hour after announcing her appointment on Sept. 22.
Following a full day of speculation, Whitman replaced former CEO Leo Apotheker, who lasted 11 rocky months in the hottest of seats in the giant IT company, which employs 324,000 people globally.
Whitman, 55, (left) has served on the HP board since January 2011 and made her name in Silicon Valley as president and CEO of eBay in a 10-year tenure that ended in 2008.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Meg Whitman’s caliber and experience step up to lead HP,” new Executive Chairman of the Board Ray Lane, a former president of HP competitor Oracle, said in introducing Whitman.
“We are at a critical moment, and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead. Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution. She is a strong communicator who is customer-focused with deep leadership capabilities. Furthermore, as a member of HP’s board of directors for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets.”
Track Record of Previous Business Success
Whitman was president and CEO of eBay from 1998 to 2008. During her tenure, the company grew from 30 employees and $4 million in annual revenue to more than 15,000 employees and $8 billion in revenue. She ran for the governorship of California in 2010 on the Republican ticket, ultimately losing to former Gov. Jerry Brown after spending about $150 million of her own money on the campaign.
Whitman, however, has plenty more where that came from, having been listed by Forbes as the fourth-richest woman residing in the state of California with a net worth of about $1.3 billion.
Although she has experienced success in business throughout her career, Whitman has worked exclusively in the consumer sector and has never worked at or run an enterprise-focused company outside of her short time as a member of HP’s board. Although HP has extensive global consumer IT businesses involving PCs, printers and other devices, its shift away from the consumer sector to a sharper focus on enterprise hardware, software and services does not align with her background.
Lane, asked about Whitman’s lack of direct experience in the enterprise hardware and software world, replied, “As an active member of our board for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets.
“It’s important to know, that as a CEO [at eBay], Meg was both a large purchaser of IT for the enterprise and ran a company that depends on technology to deliver its service. I was one of the suppliers of that technology to eBay [while at Oracle], and I watched her make decisions real time when the company had tremendous success and also in crisis situations.”
Lane, Whitman and CFO Cathy Lesjack all used the word “execute” or “execution” several times during the 40-minute call, a clear indicator as to the crux of HP’s recent problems. Lack of key business strategy execution was cited by HP insiders, industry analysts and members of the IT press as clearly lacking during the previous CEO’s tenure.
“HP really matters. It matters to Silicon Valley, to California, to the United States and, frankly, to the entire world,” Whitman told the conference call audience. “Now I know that HP has disappointed investors in recent quarters, and we’re not happy about it. Going forward, HP will have no higher priority than to do everything in our power to meet the challenges of today’s macroeconomic environment and frankly improve our operational and financial performance.
“We understand that our performance is under intense scrutiny. And we will take the necessary actions to get HP back on track. That isn’t something we can do overnight; it’s going to take time. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to bring all of the elements together. But I know we have the tools and people to achieve our goals.”
Whitman then addressed a question many people had on their minds about whether HP is ultimately going to shutter or spin off its Personal Systems Group, which Apotheker had wanted to do.
“HP will continue to invest in servers, storage, networking, printing, PCs and service offerings,” Whitman said. “We expect that by executing HP’s strategic actions, we will deliver greater value for our stockholders, broader solutions for our customers and enhanced opportunities for our employees.”
What Analysts Are Saying
Mark Fabbi, a vice president and Distinguished Analyst of Network and Data Center Infrastructure at Gartner, told eWEEK that there are definite pros and cons that come with Whitman’s appointment, as with any new hire.
“The ‘good’ is that it’s a permanent appointment, a key for any hire to avoid falling into HP’s recent shortcomings; she clearly has a better ability to articulate a strategy and be very clear about what she’s going to do; and she can expect to get better cooperation with the senior team,” Fabbi said. “Her comment about ‘recommitting to the hardware business’ is a key one.
“The ‘bad’ is that she doesn’t have experience of running a really big company, though not many have run a $100 billion company; and her experience is more consumer, while HP is clearly heading toward more of an enterprise focus.”
Overall, the board acted decisively and clearly knew what they needed to fix, Fabbi said.
“After the call, I’m more supportive. She knows what a number of the problems are and she certainly said the right things. Now, we have to see how she gains exec support and regain confidence of the market, customers and employees,” Fabbi said.
Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT and a longtime HP expert, told eWEEK that “she’s obviously bright and able, and her position as an HP board director makes her a known entity.”
But her experience is mainly in consumer-facing services, and eBay’s size/complexity is a tiny fraction of HP’s, King said.
“More to the point, if the company continues its move toward enterprise IT software and services, who will be plotting that strategy? The other question is: What happens to Whitman’s political ambitions? I believe she’s said she intends to run for public office again,” King said.
“Overall, Whitman seems like a good ‘figurehead’ CEO who could help calm the market and shareholders, but I wonder how long she’d stay at the job.”


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Etisalat announced a new package for pre-paid Wasl customers that can now enjoy 100MB of data for just AED 29 per month. The small data package is perfect for individuals looking to WhatsApp their friends and family around the world. To subscribe, all you need to do is send “m100m” as an SMS to 101o. The service is renewed automatically every month.
[Tweet "This new affordable option will target requirements of low data users"]
Etisalat, the UAE’s leading telecommunication services provider, today announced the introduction of a new 100 MB monthly data package for pre-paid Wasl customers.
The new affordable package is priced at AED29 and caters towards low data users for the purposes of light browsing and email.
“Etisalat is at the forefront of innovation and is committed to keeping pace with the latest industry trends to offer consumers increased flexibility and simplicity. We understand that every customer has different requirements and we want to give customers a range of options when it comes to data packages.
“This new affordable option will target the specific requirements of low data users and continue to deliver great value to customers,” said Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, UAE.
The out of bundle rate has been set at AED1/1MB for all mobile data packages including 1GB and 5GB MyPlan add-ons and 1GB, 5GB and 20GB My DataPlans. The unique offer is in line with Etisalat’s recent strategy of offering attractive packages for smartphone users.
This new package is the latest data offering for Wasl customers who can also choose from 1GB, 5GB and 20GB packages for AED 99, AED 249 and AED 449 respectively.
Both prepaid and postpaid customers will also be able to take advantage of Etisalat’s 4G LTE network, which covers 80 per cent of the inhabited area of the country and allows users of 4G phones to connect to the internet at speeds up to 150 Mbps.
Wasel prepaid customers can subscribe to the package by sending “m100m” as an SMS to 1010. The service will commence once the user begins using the internet and will be renewed automatically each month.
For more information, customers can visit etisalat.ae


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Proving that a good conspiracy theory is as American as apple pie, Korean carmaker Hyundai is spending a fortune on advertising its compact cars during the Superbowl. Here’s the script and video from their site at CompactConspiracy.com:
This Sunday, CompactConspiracy.com will conduct a Mass Deprogramming of unprecedented scale. With more than 100 million U.S. viewers simultaneously watching the same game, it is the perfect chance to help people all over the country snap out of their stupor and see the truth about compact cars.
The Deprogramming will take place during the third quarter, following a halftime littered with more car propaganda (advertisements) than ever before. In only 30 seconds, it could erase the 30 years of conditioning Americans have been subjected to, and open their eyes to what a compact car truly can be.


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Many Britons changed their shopping habits during the coronavirus pandemic. With a surge in online shopping, Waitrose noticed an increase in those signing up to same day delivery. This is what shoppers bought using the online services.
In March, the UK government introduced a nationwide lockdown and asked Britons to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Britons were still allowed to visit supermarkets but many turned to online shopping instead.
Waitrose is one of many British supermarkets that offers a groceries delivery service.
There are a range of delivery options available for customers to suit all needs.
Same day delivery
The Waitrose Rapid service allows customers to pick up to 25 groceries to be delivered on the same day.
The food items are picked from Waitrose stores and delivered within two hours of ordering.
New research from the supermarket chain explained the number of customers using the service had jumped to 23,000.
This was a three-fold increase on what was being used before the pandemic.
Social distancing rules meant many supermarkets had long queues outside and it was no surprise that many shoppers looked online.
According to the study, a quarter of customers explained they will continue to do big food shops online.
The research also revealed the most popular items that customers ordered during the pandemic.
Most popular items
Flour and baking ingredients
Pasta and rice
Coffee and tea
Japanese cuisine ingredients like sushi rice and nori
Liqueurs and aperitifs
Mediterranean cuisine and drink
With many bars and restaurants forced to close, some shoppers tried to make their favourite meals at home.
This led to an increase in the sales of foods for Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines.
Bar and cafe closures also led to shoppers filling up on their favourite wines, coffees and teas.
Liqueurs and aperitifs also proved popular as Britons tried to make their favourite cocktails at home.
Source: Read Full Article


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Federated's Slow Ride On The Up EscalatorLaura Zinn
Allen Questrom doesn't look like a man who has been to hell and back. Tall, slim, tan, and well-dressed, the top executive at Federated Department Stores Inc. epitomizes the soigne Seventh Avenue look. It complements the message that he is trying to impart to employees, suppliers, investors, and the press: After two years of the most complex and expensive bankruptcy ever seen in retailing, Federated emerged from Chapter 11 a full six months ago and is doing just fine, thank you. The new Federated, says Chairman and Chief Executive Questrom, "is on an incline, not a decline."
True, Federated seems to be climbing out of its hole. For the six months ending Aug. 1, operating earnings from the seven Federated chains, including Bloomingdale's, A&S/Jordan Marsh, Burdines, and Rich's, rose 115%, to $107.5 million, on flat sales of $3 billion. But Questrom vows he can raise Federated's profits to the levels of rivals Dillard Department Stores Inc. and May Department Stores Co.--and that will be a far steeper climb. Federated's estimated 1992 cash flow is 8.3% of sales, compared with 12.1% for Dillard's and 13.3% for May. To hit Dillard's-style cash flow, Federated would need to boost sales to $200 a square foot from the current estimated level of $150.
NOT BULLET-PROOF. If the arithmetic is against Federated, so is geography. Roughly 40% of sales come from stores scattered through the Northeast, a region packed with discount chains, outlet malls, and competing department stores. It also has some of the country's highest rent and labor costs--plus a large pool of unemployed, wallet-clutching consumers. "Federated's future is linked to the health of the Northeast," says Alan Millstein, a retail consultant in New York. "Even with the outstanding talent they might have, the company can't overcome the realities of unemployment."
No wonder even bullish followers of Federated sound a cautionary note. "This is not a bullet-proof story," says Michael Exstein, an analyst at County NatWest Securities USA. What encourages Exstein and others, though, is that Questrom and James M. Zimmerman, the operating chief, have established a strategy of improving efficiency and sharing merchandising knowhow throughout Federated--a big achievement at a company that for years had lacked a well-executed plan of attack.
Four of Federated's chains--Rich's in the South, Burdines in Florida, Lazarus in the Midwest, and Bon Marche in the Northwest--have healthy operating margins and are the dominant stores in their markets. In areas where Federated's position needed shoring up, Questrom has been closing stores and cutting back. A&S in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Boston's Jordan Marsh merged their headquarters and backroom operations in March, a move that will save some $25 million annually. In Florida, Burdines combined with Jordan Marsh and Maas Brothers, laid off 1,500 employees, and achieved annual savings of $30 million. Questrom also lopped off almost $950 million in debt by issuing new stock in May. Long-term debt is now $2.2 billion, well below the $7.5 billion burden that pushed it into Chapter 11.
FAIR EXCHANGE. Important as cutting costs and debt is, boosting sales is even more vital, and that calls for a cross-pollination of profitable ideas among the stores. A computer system that was developed by Rich's to track inventories and sales is being installed in all chains. And top executives from each division now visit each other to trade cost-saving ideas and selling techniques. That's a marked departure from prebankruptcy days, when the chains' views toward each other were more competitive than cooperative.
Take the recent exchange between Lazarus and Bon Marche, also known as The Bon. Lazarus developed a young men's department called Sports Forum, which sold clothes with sports insignia in a space packed with TVs showing sports videos. Eight months ago, The Bon adapted Sports Forum to the Seattle market. "We got a tremendous pop out of it," says Robert DiNicola, Bon Marche's president. "We don't have this attitude that 'just because it's not my idea, I don't want to try it.' "
Bloomingdale's is similarly trying to incorporate techniques originated at Nordstrom Inc. and Burdines. At Burdines, a "preselling" program has salespeople keeping lists of customers to call about promotions and new items. Bloomingdale's disdained such tactics when it was the undisputed mecca for style. "In the Seventies and Eighties, people flocked to the store," says Barry Bien, a salesman at Bloomingdale's in White Plains, N.Y. "We were just clerks writing up business."
But with bankruptcy distracting management and spooking suppliers, Bloomies' merchandise came to seem pricey but ordinary, and sales stagnated. Michael Gould, who became CEO of Bloomingdale's in August, 1991, has been retraining salespeople and offering extras that customers remember: changing tables for babies in both men's and women's rooms, free coffee, and exit interviews to see what shoppers think. And Bien now has the names of 200 customers who have agreed to let him call--sometimes just to schmooze. "I must make 10 phone calls a day," says Bien. The result? "My business has improved 30%." Bloomingdale's business seems to have gotten a lift, too. "Even problem spots like the Chicago store that were losing substantial amounts of money two years ago may have broken even last year," says Exstein.
Still, some of Federated's efforts at rejuvenation have rattled shoppers and salespeople. At the Coral Springs Mall in Florida, there are now two Burdines stores--one of them a former Jordan Marsh. Dottie Shifflet, a sales specialist in the infant department at the old Jordan Marsh, has noticed two trends: The Burdines at the other end of the mall gets a wider range of sophisticated brands. "We feel like the stepchild," say Shifflet. Meanwhile, customers loyal to the old Jordan Marsh drifted elsewhere, put off by the name change. Only now are they slowly coming back again.
STOCK STORY. Wooing customers isn't Federated's only challenge: It has to keep romancing investors as well. To emerge from bankruptcy in February, Federated wiped out $5 billion in old obligations by issuing new notes and some 80 million new shares of stock to its creditors. In February, 20 million of those shares started trading immediately at 17 1/4. The remaining 60 million were restricted from trading for varying lengths of time after Federated made its public offering of 46 million shares in May. This November, creditors can start trading about half of the restricted stock. Creditors eager to reap some gain from their investment may rush to dump the newly unrestricted shares, pushing Federated stock, now trading at 13 3/4, into a rapid decline.
Questrom and Zimmerman say they are discussing with creditors how to stop a scary sell-off from happening. So far, those discussions haven't been made public. But the health of Federated's stock and the confidence of investors ultimately depends on how much Questrom's reforms can improve Federated's basic retail business. After toughing it out for the past two years, Questrom likes his prospects. "People said we only had a 1-in-10 chance of coming out of bankruptcy," he says. "We beat tremendous odds." Handicapping the odds at the postbankruptcy Federated will be one of Wall Street's--and Seventh Avenue's--favorite activities this fall.
THE FEDERATED LINEUP A&S/JORDAN MARSH 1991 sales $1.4 billion, 35 stores. Two chains now operate as one division. Northeast market means profit margins are slim BURDINES $1.3 billion sales, 46 stores. 20 Jordan Marsh and Maas Brothers stores in Florida were incorporated into chain, which faces increasing competition from Dillard's in the sunshine state BLOOMINGDALE'S $1.1 billion sales, 15 stores. New CEO is working to jump-start sales at this former fashion leader. While lackluster branch stores get special attention, he's spending $35 million this year to make over the Manhattan flagship LAZARUS $935 million sales, 40 stores. Acquisitions have made it a major department-store presence in the Midwest, with one of Federated's lowest cost structures RICH'S/GOLDSMITH'S $818 million sales, 23 stores. Among Federated's most profitable chains, it is benefiting from Macy's crumbling market share in Southeast BON MARCHE $720.4 million sales, 39 stores. Dominates department-store business in Northwest and remained highly profitable throughout bankruptcy STERN'S $669 million sales, 22 stores. Highly promotional, moderately priced chain enjoys healthy profit margins despite sluggish New York and New Jersey markets DATA: COMPANY REPORTS, BW


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When Cedric Richmond vacated his congressional seat representing Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District to join the Biden administration at the beginning of this year, we said that the resulting special election to replace him was going to be a race to the bottom. And we were right, because the campaign Troy Carter ran to win that seat over Karen Carter Peterson, Gary Chambers and Claston Bernard, among others, was a pandering mess of leftist bromides.
The conventional wisdom following Carter’s victory, spun out by the state’s legacy media on behalf of the James Carvilles of the world, was that he was going to Congress because voters rejected wokeness and Hard Left socialism. It was a lie, of course; Troy Carter is every bit as woke and socialist as Peterson and Chambers, and everything he did in the state senate and on the campaign trail this year before winning that race proved it. The only reason he won was that Carter isn’t as obnoxious as Peterson and Chambers; otherwise there isn’t a whit of difference between them.
Nothing has changed since he took office, either.
It isn’t that Carter is some dime-store Trotsky or something. Troy Carter is a political hack. He says what the Democrat Party leadership tells him to say. If that party was run by Scoop Jacksons and Dick Gephardts, Troy Carter would sound like one of them. But it’s run by Nancy Pelosis and James Clyburns now, and Troy Carter parrots their statements.
No matter how ridiculous or stupid.
That this is true was never really arguable, but any possible differing opinion was blown away yesterday when Troy Carter went on Neil Cavuto’s show and put out the most idiotic economic illiteracy anybody could conjure up. He literally took a meat tenderizer to the dismal science, and Cavuto was simply far too polite to call him on it. That’s a shame, because Neil Cavuto knows well that Troy Carter’s insistence on more government spending to combat inflation is a pristine failure of basic economic theory.
If you didn’t see this verbal rape of basic economics, here’s video and a transcript…
A transcript, courtesy of Breitbart.com…
Carter disagreed with [relevant remarks begin around 3:15] “the notion that somehow the Build Back Better or the infrastructure plan will negatively impact inflation,” because there have been “several Nobel Peace Prize economists who vehemently disagree with that. Listen, when people make more money, they spend more money. When you make money, it doesn’t just go into a black hole in your backyard. It goes into the stores, it goes into school, it goes into homes and cars and providing better lives for our children. So that money that’s in –.”
Host Neil Cavuto then cut in to ask Carter how he would respond to people who have lost purchasing power even though their wages have gone up.
Carter responded, “I think you tell them that they need to get on the phone, they need to call their members of Congress. I think you tell them to get on the phone and call their senators. Because we’re –.”
Cavuto then cut in to ask if that will ease inflation’s bite.
Carter answered, “No. The inflation bite will be eased when we start to invigorate our economy, and we invigorate our economy by pumping money into it to stimulate it. It’s not unlike anything that we’ve done before, except the magnitude of the dollars that we’re putting in with Build Back Better and infrastructure are life-changing and unprecedented. And most economists — I mean, there will be some that obviously disagree, you and I may disagree, but from my vantage point and the economists that I’ve looked at and listened to suggest that the money that we’re putting in, we’re not talking about Bs, we’re talking about Ts, trillions of dollars for infrastructure, for housing, for rail, for [the] environment, these are all things that’s going to pay dividends for years and years to come.”
What’s the definition of inflation? Investopedia has a pretty good little description…
Understanding Price Inflation
The nominal amount of money available in an economy tends to grow larger every year relative to the supply of goods available for purchase. This overall demand-pull tends to cause some degree of price inflation—when there’s not enough supply to satisfy demand, prices usually move upward.
Price inflation can also be caused by cost-push, which is when the cost of inputs to the production process increases. If a company has to pay higher wages and more for the raw materials it uses to make the final product, a large chunk of these extra expenses will likely be passed on to the customer in the form of higher prices.
Price inflation can also be seen in a slightly different form, where the price of a good is the same year-over-year (YOY) but the amount of the good received gradually decreases. For example, you may notice this in low-cost snack foods such as potato chips and chocolate bars, where the weight of the product gradually decreases, while the price remains the same.
You can’t just print money and throw it out of helicopters. Debasing your currency to spark consumer demand without a corresponding increase in supply means you’re going to have too much money chasing too few goods, and that means the price of those goods will go up.
In other words, what Carter said is categorically, demonstrably wrong. You don’t tax and spend, or borrow and spend, your way into prosperity. You become Argentina, Mexico or Venezuela – or maybe the Weimar Republic – that way.
Everything the Biden administration and its lackey Democrats like Troy Carter are doing is wrong. They’ve poisoned the supply chain with stupid policies like outlawing independent contractors in California which has crippled the trucking industry (and lots of other stupid ideas), they’ve driven the cost of labor through the roof by paying people not to work, and they’ve debased the currency by running unheard-of deficits. Inflation is now mounting as a result, and the economy is not growing. It only grew at a puny 2 percent in the third quarter, which portends a recession.
The way you beat inflation is a hike in interest rates, which slows down demand so that supply can catch up. But doing that could be disastrous, because the federal government is $28 trillion in debt and high interest rates will make it insolvent in no time flat.
That’s a long way of saying that the idiocy Troy Carter is spouting will literally destroy the U.S. economy.
Neil Cavuto won’t call it out because he’s too nice (and frankly lacks the courage to stand up for the investors who watch his show). But we’ll say it. This guy Carter is too stupid – or perhaps, like all Democrats, he just thinks the American people are too stupid – for survival.
We’re stuck with him, because once elected in those districts the Troy Carters of the world generally leave office in handcuffs or a pine box. But the future of our great country is dependent on Troy Carter being as irrelevant as possible. It’s that serious.


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CARB fines Walmart $409K for selling hair products that contribute to smog-forming emissions
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today announced a $409,000 settlement with Walmart, Inc. of Bentonville, Arkansas for selling private label “hair finishing spray” that violated state air quality regulations. The product was manufactured by Canada-based Apollo Health and Beauty Care, Inc., specifically for Walmart.
The settlement stems from a 2018 investigation when CARB inspectors tested the hair products and found that they did not comply with state limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)in the Hair Finishing Spray category. These VOCs react in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, one of the most harmful components of smog.
Walmart pulled all cans immediately from California store shelves and was cooperative with the investigation.The affected cans were from the “Equate” brand line and included the Firm, Mega Firm, and Extra Firm Hold Hair Spray.
“The cumulative impact of thousands of cans of non-compliant hair spray and other comparable products adds tons of pollutants to our environment each day that contribute to air pollution including ozone,” said CARB Chief Executive Officer Richard W. Corey. “We work diligently to find and test these items to protect our air quality in our efforts to ensure all Californians have clean air to breathe. Walmart acted quickly to address the products that exceeded the legal standards, and has assured us they will not work with the manufacturer again until all problems are corrected.”
In addition to paying the fine, Walmart plans to provide an educational platform for its online marketplace sellers to bring awareness to CARB’s consumer products regulations.
Walmart agreed to pay a civil penalty of $261,800 to the Air Pollution Control Fund, and $147,200 toward a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP). The SEP is the Side Street Projects – Woodworking Bus, a unique program that teaches basic wood-working skills, tool-based design and fabrication in school buses and trailers modified to be mobile woodshop classrooms. The program serves more than 3,000 elementary school students, many from low-income families, in Los Angeles County, focusing on students in the Pasadena Unified School District.
“Side Street Projects will replace diesel-powered buses customized to be woodworking classrooms with new propane-powered buses that go above and beyond current CARB regulations,” said California Air Resources Board Member Hector De La Torre. “Their goal is to ensure a safer, cleaner learning environment for children and reduce toxic diesel emissions, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Supporting the instructional program while eliminating dirty diesel buses is a potent combination for our schools, and in line with CARB’s mandate to improve air quality.”
The Woodworking Bus Program was developed in response to shop classes being removed from public schools. Side Street Projects has completed multiple capital projects and built woodworking buses since 1997. They currently have two buses and two trailers that deliver the woodworking curriculum.


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Seacor Marine completes buy of remaining stake in SEACOSCO JV
U.S. offshore support vessel provider Seacor Marine has completed the acquisition of the remaining 50 per cent of the equity interests in SEACOSCO Offshore from COSCO Shipping.
Seacor Marine said on Monday that it would consolidate the operating results of SEACOSCO as a 100 per cent owned subsidiary from and after the closing date.
Through the acquisition worth $28.15 million, Seacor took over ownership of eight Rolls-Royce designed platform supply vessels (PSVs).
SEACOSCO was formed in 2018 as a joint venture company between Seacor and COSCO. The company then immediately entered into contracts to buy eight Rolls-Royce designed construction PSVs from Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry shipyard.
The company added in the statement that the acquisition modernized Seacor Marine’s fleet through consolidating the company’s ownership of eight Rolls-Royce designed PSVs.
Six of the PSVs are of UT 771WP design with 4,400 tons deadweight capacity and two are of UT 771CD design with 3,800 tons deadweight capacity.
SEACOSCO has taken delivery of seven of these PSVs, each with a 2018 or 2019 year of build, and expects to take delivery of the final UT 771WP design PSV later this year.
Each of the UT 771WP design PSVs is equipped with a battery energy storage system which is, according to Seacor, designed to reduce fuel consumption and enhance the safety and redundancy of the vessels’ systems.
John Gellert, Seacor’s CEO, said: “We are excited by this next step in the growth of SEACOR Marine and we look forward to consolidating the operating results of the Seacosco vessels – the most fuel-efficient and modern tonnage of the worldwide supply vessel fleet for the foreseeable future”.
To remind, Seacor Marine entered into a definitive sale and purchase agreement for the SEACOSCO stake back in early June.
Seacor made a similar move in March when it bought the remaining 28 per cent of equity interests in Falcon Global Holdings (FGH), resulting in 100 per cent ownership.


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At only six years old, Valdo Sithole already has a clothing line to his name.
Valdo is South Africa’s youngest artist who has a song titled “Ntwana Ntwana” with his father, Lindo Sithole.
Following the success of the video which reached over 1 million views on YouTube, Valdo launched his merchandise of sweaters, T-shirts and school bags.
All his garments are branded with an animated picture of himself.
He reached another milestone when his clothes started selling at Brended Feet in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, and not just online.
The six-year-old model is also a fashionista of note. These are some of our favourite Valdo looks.


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LegalZoom.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: LZ), a leading online platform for legal and compliance services, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a new multiyear partnership, which will tip off with the creation of “Fast Break for Small Business,” a community initiative that will award $6 million in grants and LegalZoom services to support thousands of small businesses throughout the country. This first-of-its-kind program provides capital and other critical resources small businesses need to operate and grow, changing the game by removing barriers minorities, women, immigrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community often face.
“Our mission at LegalZoom is to democratize law in ways that help all small business owners thrive,” said Dan Wernikoff, CEO of LegalZoom. “Our commitment to promote social equality and economic inclusion align perfectly with the values of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League. The ‘Fast Break for Small Business’ program accelerates our ability to support both new and existing small businesses while reducing the endemic inequalities in the financial and legal systems.”
“Our partnership with LegalZoom is a significant extension of our commitment to increasing economic opportunities for historically marginalized communities,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Together we will bring meaningful resources to entrepreneurs and directly address many of the challenges facing minority-owned small businesses.”
“Small businesses across the country are really the heart and soul of who we are as Americans. They are the life blood of our country and right now they’ve been through some tough times,” said Basketball Hall of Famer and “Fast Break for Small Business” Ambassador Grant Hill. “I know first-hand the challenges and difficulties that exist with being a small business owner. But I also am impressed with the resiliency, the toughness and the commitment necessary to be successful. To be able to support and provide services and to be there for them, that’s a great feeling and something we all should be proud of.”
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, more than two-thirds of small business owners agree that minority-owned small businesses face more challenges than non-minority-owned businesses. Black and Hispanic-owned businesses are twice as likely to be considered “at risk” by banks, while women receive only 4% of small business loans. “Fast Break for Small Business” was created to address these disparities and give people in these communities a fairer shot at turning their dreams into reality.
Applications for the first round of “Fast Break for Small Business” grants are open today through November 23, 2021. Grants and services will be awarded twice a year for the next three years. The first round of grantees will be announced in early 2022.
For additional information on the “Fast Break for Small Business” program and to apply for a grant, visit www.legalzoom.com/fastbreakforsmallbusiness.
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Why France destroyed thousands of bottles of Haitian soda (hint: it involves champagne)
First it was thousands of bottles of American Miller High Life beer. Now, it’s a popular Haitian soft drink.
Haitians are aghast that France, their former colonizer, has destroyed 35,000 bottles of Kola “Couronne Fruit Champagne,” the sweet orange soda that always reminds Haitians of home and of their childhood.
“Wait a minute,” one Twitter used tweeted in Creole, followed by an expletive. “It’s fruit champagne, OK, not Champagne.”
But to France’s Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, the trade association for the champagne industry and the only one under European Union laws that can grant use of the word champagne on labels, it would seem that taste doesn’t matter.
The Haitian soda, roughly 1,200 cases of 24 bottles each, were destroyed by French border police after being seized in October 2021 and a court in Paris ruled that they infringe on the regulation dictating who has the rights to use the word “champagne,” said the British Broadcasting Corporation, which first reported the story.
The decision comes amid increased vigilance by the trade association. Last month, Belgium destroyed 2,352 cans of Miller High Life beer after the association complained that the maker was improperly labeling its product as “Champagne.” The beer’s slogan is “The Champagne of Beers.”
Champagne, the trade association argues, should only be for sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France by a traditional method and that “Champagne” is prestigious label and should not be taken lightly — or used by just anyone.
The Haiti-based bottler of the soda, Couronne, has not made any public statements about what happened. But a source with the Port-au-Prince bottler told the Miami Herald that the company does not export the soda, and surmised that a homesick Haitian mgith have shipped the soda in a container to France.
The soda can be found in supermarkets throughout Miami that cater to Haitians. It is bottled locally in the United States where there is a demand from the growing Haitian population — especially now that they can’t easily fly to a Haiti and bring cases home.
The Haitian company has been in existence for over 70 years, and while there are other versions of “fruit champagne” sodas in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica’s Kola Champagne, the Haitian bottler insists that Haiti’s is something special. “This is our formula. It’s a precious formula and it’s different,” he said.
“It’s been part of Haitian life, and the Couronne is part of the culture of Haiti. It’s one of the best fruit champagnes,” he added. “People really love the flavor, because it’s special.”


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Mon, 29 May 2017 17:39:49 -0500
Published: 2016-12-12 According to Future Market Insights analysis, the global dermatology devices market is expected to reach US$ 2,708.4 Mn in terms of revenue by 2016 end, witnessing a year-over-year growth of 6.2%.
Published: 2016-12-12 The global storage in big data market is estimated to be valued at US$ 9,599.1 Mn by the end of 2016 and this is anticipated to increase to US$ 61.44 Bn by 2026 end.
Published: 2016-12-12 The global enterprise social networks and online communities market is anticipated to grow from US$ 2,636.1 Mn in 2016 to US$ 12,189.0 Mn by 2026, registering a CAGR of 16.5% in terms of revenue during the forecast period (2016-2026).
Published: 2016-12-12 Global 4G (LTE) devices market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 13.1% during the forecast period owing to various factors, regarding which Persistence Market Research offers vital insights in detail.
Published: 2016-12-12 Spirax Sarco, Inc. announces that the PC4000 Pipeline Connector is a finalist for Plant Engineering Magazine – 2016 Product of the Year in the Energy Management category.
Published: 2016-12-12 Lowry Solutions is an industry leader in enterprise mobility for data collection and asset tracking applications.
Published: 2016-12-09 The global electrical steel market is projected to witness healthy growth in 2016. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is estimated to grow at the highest pace, accounting for a substantial share in the global market revenues.
Published: 2016-12-09 Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will continue to remain a key region, with its revenue share of the global market expected to be 35.5% in 2016.
Published: 2016-12-09 StarForce Reader for macOS was released in addition to existing Readers for Windows, Android, and iOS.
Published: 2016-12-09 SceneDoc, a ‘mobile first’ data collection platform for law enforcement joins the eCitation Coalition.
Published: 2016-12-08 Increasing initiatives by pharmaceutical companies to develop novel medicines for cancer treatment has also contributed to increase the scope of digital pathology systems.
Published: 2016-12-08 These insights are according to the report, “Electronic Medical Record Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2015 - 2025”, by research and consulting firm Future Market Insights (FMI).
Published: 2016-12-08 the global interactive whiteboard market was valued at US$ 1,257.3 Mn in 2015 and is expected to register a value CAGR of -17.0% from 2016 to 2026.
Published: 2016-12-08 According to the report, the global water softening systems market is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period in terms of revenue.
Published: 2016-12-08 Dakota Software, a leading provider of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) management software, has been named one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest-growing companies.
Published: 2016-12-08 Latest study on " Global Fraud Detection and Prevention Market Research Report and Forecast to 2016-2020" added to OrbisResearch market research reports database
Published: 2016-12-07 Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the “Video Intercom Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.
Published: 2016-12-07 Trends such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and enterprise applications are likely to boost demand in the corporate sector.
Published: 2016-12-07 The global intraosseous infusion devices market was valued at US$ 2,553.9 Mn in 2015 and is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,719.3 Mn by 2016 end, reflecting a Y-o-Y growth rate of 6.5%.
Published: 2016-12-07 In terms of revenue, the global Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period.
Disclaimer: We accept no responsibility for accuracy and completeness for any information of press releases published on this site as they are submitted directly by different companies/individuals/third parties. We recommend to directly contact the poster through the contact information published on the news release.


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Drone demos are everywhere at the International Computer Electronics Show this year. And a big part of the credit for this trend belongs to Parrot. The French company was the first to bring sophisticated drones that are controlled by smartphones to the mass market — rocking CES with its drone demo five years ago.
The key to Parrot’s mass market success: slick engineering. So it’s worth paying attention to where Parrot is going next. Besides its hot-selling AR.Drone 2.0 and Bebop Drone, Parrot is now showing how next-generation drones will rely on advanced computer vision capabilities to understand the environments through which they fly.
The demo — dubbed “Kalamos” — uses NVIDIA technology to show a concept that’s key to next-generation drones. Unlike many other drone demos, Kalamos doesn’t rely on the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS), which can help human pilots navigate from point A to point B. Nor is this just about obstacle detection — a skill needed by drones so that they can avoid getting stuck in a tree, like Charlie Brown’s kite.
This is about building digital brains perceptive enough to model the environments through which they move.
To keep up with all that we’re up to at CES, visit nvidia.com/CES2015.
That’s no easy job. But Parrot’s Kalamos demo uses a simple model to show how it’s attacking this mind-bogglingly complex challenge. At the center of the demo: a two-foot tall playhouse complete with a garden in front and a bathtub on the second floor.
Staring down at this scene: dual cameras attached to our NVIDIA Jetson TK1 development kit, powered by a Tegra K1 processor. The devkit, in turn, is attached to a robotic arm that mimics the movement of a drone. An NVIDIA SHIELD controller directs the drone as its stereoscopic eyes do much more than just obstacle detection. They reconstruct the surfaces within the toy house in real time.
Using the parallel processing capabilities of the Tegra K1’s 192-core GPU, Parrot algorithms map out the scene in full color and display it on a nearby tablet. The resulting image shows accurate depth of field as the drone moves about the object, with precision closing in on one centimeter.
The potential applications for this are easy to imagine, and too many to list. But it’s clear already: the next generation of drones will be much more than mere flying machines. They’ll become tools that will help us better understand the environments we send them to explore for us.
For more on what we’re up to at CES 2015, go to nvidia.com/CES2015.


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Personal Emergency Reporting System Recall: Battery Problems
Following a report of a failed call for assistance, about 48,000 personal emergency assistance transmitters were recalled yesterday due to battery problems that could cause a delay in emergency response in life threatening situations.
The Linear Personal Emergency Reporting System (PERS) Transmitters recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on December 9, following a report that indicated the transmitter failed to signal for help due to corrosion of the battery clips in the transmitters.
The PERS transmitters are designed to allow users to press a button on the transmitter for emergency assistance. According to the CPSC, when the battery clip fails, the systems do not provide warning that a signal has not been sent. While there has been at least one known incident where the unit failed to operate properly, no injuries have been associated with the defective PERS transmitters.
Did You Know?
Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.Learn More
The affected products have model numbers DXS-LRC, DXS-LRC-LA, DXS-LRP and DXS-LRW and manufactured dates from June 2013 to July 2013 with date codes 1306, 1329, and 1307 representing the year and week of year. Both model and date codes can be located on the back of the transmitters.
The products are gray with a black circle in the middle or white with a green swirl design on the front. Certain models have a solid black wristband with a black plastic face and black emergency button in the center.
The recalled systems were manufactured in China by Linear H.K. Manufacturing Limited where they were imported by Linear LLC of Carlsbad, California and sold at independent PERS distributors and dealers nationwide from June 2013 through August 2013 for roughly $45.
The CPSC recommends that customers contact Linear immediately at (855) 554-2384 or visit them online at www.linear-pers.com and navigate to the Recall link to receive a free replacement transmitter.
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China News Service, Beijing, December 8 (Reporter Xia Bin) In 2021, China's economy has shown a good recovery trend. However, in response to various challenges at home and abroad, it also encounters certain pressures for transformation and adjustment. The Central Economic Work Conference at the end of the year will be held soon, which will set the tone for China's economic work next year. Recently, major institutions have also given conjectures about the trend of China's economy next year.
The KPMG research team stated that an obvious feature of China's inflation trend this year is the apparent separation of the consumer price index (CPI) and the industrial producer price index (PPI).
Looking forward to the trend of consumer product prices in 2022, due to the low base figure this year, continued consumption recovery, and the transmission of some upstream price increases to the downstream, the consumer price index is expected to rebound next year.
At the same time, with the gradual improvement of the epidemic and the continuous recovery of the supply of raw materials, the tight supply and demand situation will be eased. Superimposed on this year's high base effect, the PPI is expected to fall steadily next year.
The team said that, on the whole, China’s inflationary pressures in 2022 are generally under control, but at the same time, it is also necessary to pay close attention to global inflation trends and be alert to the potential impact of imported inflation on the Chinese economy.
Cheng Shi, chief economist of ICBC International, believes that looking forward to 2022, the three basic characteristics of China's economic operation will be to improve the quality and efficiency of economic development, the stability and control of macro leverage, and the convergence of inflation and price differentiation.
Based on this, China will continue to implement cross-cycle macro-control policies. The policy mix of "money loosening, credit tightening, and fiscal easing" will be maintained for a long time. Policy formulation and implementation will place greater emphasis on flexibility, precision, efficiency, and goal orientation.
"Looking at the more distant future, 2022 will be the year of succession for China to enter the era of common prosperity. The long-term resource allocation will be based on fairness and justice, and continue to deepen the development concept of'innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing'. Actively build a new dual-cycle development pattern, and promote the steady and long-term development of China's economy on the road of high-quality development." Cheng Shi said.
Zhu Haibin, chief economist and head of economic research at JPMorgan Chase China in China, said bluntly that from a big logic point of view, we believe that this year’s economic policy changes are just a starting point. It represents more than just a short-term and cyclical economic policy. The changes in China represent more of China’s implementation of new development concepts in its economic policies for the next 30 years.
He further stated that from the perspective of next year, it is recommended that more attention should be paid to policy coordination in the implementation of policies, especially in the current process of China’s transformation from previous high growth to high-quality growth, previous policies and coordination between departments Mechanisms and policy tools used in the past may also need to be adjusted at present.
Li Yili, Investment Director of Wellington Investment Management, said: “We believe that in 2022 and the next few years, if the strategy is appropriate, the attractiveness of investing in China will remain undiminished. Although there have been several rounds of market volatility recently, we believe that due to China’s economic Long-term growth potential remains attractive, so the trend of foreign capital flowing into China’s onshore stock market is expected to continue."
From a macroeconomic perspective, Li Yili added that although investors must pay attention to the direction of monetary policy caused by increasing inflationary pressures, he believes that the People's Bank of China has been relatively cautious in controlling excess liquidity.
Liquidity is currently maintained at a moderately safe level.
If the monetary policy in 2022 remains stable, inflation should also be brought under control.
In addition, the valuation of Chinese stocks has fallen back to an attractive level. The forward P/E ratio of major indexes such as MSCI China Index is about 13 times. Compared with the P/E ratio of more than 18 times in major markets such as the United States, the valuation discount is particularly obvious. .


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GUJARAT: The Gujarat Animal Preservation Act,2011,introduced by the BJP government during Diwali,bans the slaughter of cows (and their progeny) as well as the sale,purchase or transportation of beef. The maximum imprisonment is,as in the new MP law,of seven years.
Karnataka: A 1964 law allowed slaughter of cattle under certain conditions. Now,the BJP government has framed a much stricter law not only banning slaughter but also allowing search and seizure. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill,2010,passed by the legislature,opposed by the Congress and JDS,and yet to receive the Governors assent,proposes imprisonment up to seven years and fines up to Rs 1 lakh. The Bill includes a search-and-seizure clause empowering police officers of the rank of sub-inspector or above,and accords immunity to authorities implementing the law.
Uttar Pradesh: The UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act prescribes imprisonment up to seven years,as per an amendment in effect since 2002,a police officer says. Consumption of canned beef is allowed but sale or transportation of cattle for the purpose of slaughtering will invite prosecution. The officer says someone caught slaughtering frequently can face charges under the Gangster Act and the National Security Act.
Himachal pradesh: The ban on cow slaughter here was imposed as way back as in 1979. The Himachal Pradesh Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act prescribes imprisonment of five years. The Act covers not only cows but also bulls,bullocks,oxen,heifers and calves. Even a person who withholds information about slaughter can be punished with a year in jail. Sale of beef is banned,unless one obtains a licence under the Act. Offences are non-bailable.
Tamil Nadu: A ban on slaughter of cows and heifers is in place since 1976,though not stringently implemented. Consumption of beef is not banned but it is something that divides communities. Beef is available at meat shops,but beef dishes are not served by any major restaurants barring a few.
Punjab & haryana: Both neighbours ban cow slaughter,with Haryana implementing the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act,1955,which has provisions for imprisonment. Punjab too makes it a criminal offence under various sections of the IPC. It bans the sale of beef though there is no provision for a penalty for its consumption. Neither state has ever had a complaint or case registered for sale of beef.
Bihar: The ban on cow slaughter is guided by a Central law,the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960. It is a cognisable offence and bailable. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals,which has a unit in every district,becomes the complainant if a cow is slaughtered. Slaughtering a diseased cow is allowed under the law. It is legal to serve beef in restaurants but few actualy do so.
Jharkhand: The Jharkhand Prevention of Cowbreed Animal Slaughter Act,2005,sets an age limit,with slaughter banned if the animal is less than three years old. There is no ban on consumption of beef. Approved during an earlier tenure of Arjun Munda,the law was notified during that of Shibu Soren. Imprisonment for illegal slaughter can go up to 10 years; causing an injury to such animals,too,is punishable with a fine up to Rs 10,000.
Maharashtra: The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act,1976,makes a distinction between animals: it bans the slaughter of cows but allows that of bulls,bullocks,female buffaloes and buffalo calves if a fit-for-slaughter certificate is obtained from the comptetent authority. Cow slaughter is punishable by up to six months imprisonment. A bill that aimed to ban slaughter of bulls,too,had been passed by both houses of the legislature in 1995 during the Shiv Sena-BJP governments tenure. That bill is still pending with the President,while the currently ruling Congress-NCP alliance is doing a rethink about it.
West Bengal: The West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act,1950,bans slaughter of healthy cows,with a violation carrying a maximum imprisonment of six months. There is no ban on consumption of beef,or on the slaughter (in a government or municipality slaughterhouse) of an animal certified as fit for this by a veterinary surgeon. The Act exempts slaughter for religious purposes,but the Supreme Court has said such exemptions too would be illegal.
Orissa: The Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act,1960,makes slaughter a cognisable offence with a maximum imprisonment of two years or fine up to Rs 1,000 or both. Cow includes heifers and calves,while slaughter of bulls and bullocks allowed once given a fit-for-slaughter certificate,or if cattle is over 14 years of age or has become permanently unfit for breeding. Consumption and serving of beef in hotels and homes is allowed.
The northeast: The Assam Cattle Preservation Act,1951 (amended in 1963),exists but no rules seem to have been framed to regulate or restrict cattle slaughter,which takes place in various parts of the state. Meghalaya,Mizoram and Nagaland,with a predominant Christian population,have no restriction on cattle slaughter and beef is openly sold in cities like Shillong,Dimapur and Aizawl. Arunachal Pradesh has no legislation on cow slaughter,and communities consume the meat of yak and mithun. Tripura has no legislation either. In Manipur,cattle slaughter is restricted under the Proclamation of Maharajas Durbar Rules of 1939,but beef is largely consumed in the hill districts with large Christian populations.
Kerala: There is no restriction on cow slaughter in a state where beef is eaten by a large section of people. Beef is sold at meat shops while cattle is traded at weekly markets across the state.


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Marie Dieter of Pottsville is still in the Christmas spirit while shopping Wednesday at Target in Spring Township.
After the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping season, many had no desire to head back into the retail fray Wednesday.
But for Marie Dieter, there was no better place to be Wednesday than the sale aisles of local stores.
Each year the Pottsville woman drives to Berks County to load up on wrapping paper, ribbons, gift boxes and other holiday items, which she usually finds at 50 percent off.
She'll store them away until early next December, when she'll begin decorating next year's presents.
"When I'm wrapping gifts I like to bedazzle them and make them all fancy," said Dieter while filling her cart at the Target in Spring Township.
The post-Christmas sales allow her to add her seasonal flair on the cheap. And she even gets a head start on the gifts themselves, buying candles and other holiday staples.
Joining Dieter for each of the last 22 years has been her mother, Marie Rushanan of Minersville. Rushanan actually started the day-after-Christmas shopping tradition when Dieter was still too young to join her. After the daughter grew up and got married, the two started going together, laughing and sharing stories as they browse for bargains.
"It lets us stretch Christmas right through until New Year's," Dieter said.
Many feel likewise, retail officials said.
Dec. 26 is typically among the top 10 shopping days of the year, with many stores holding big sales, said Bill Martin, founder and executive vice president of retail technology firm ShopperTrak based in Chicago.
Last year, it was the fourth busiest shopping day of the year, he said.
But like others who shop post-Christmas each year, Dieter and Rushanan said the stores seemed a little less crowded this year.
Some store employees agreed, saying the impending winter storm - and then its arrival shortly after lunchtime - kept some away.
That was the case at the Fairgrounds Square Mall in Muhlenberg Township, where business was slower than most years on Dec. 26, mall officials said.
Others blamed the overindulgence of some holiday celebrants.
"I think people may have drank or ate too much yesterday," said Dave Bortz, manager of Best Buy in Wyomissing.
Dec. 26 draws the most shoppers when it falls on a weekend or a Monday since many are off work, Martin said.
Jeanette Trate of Bernville said her husband, Jefferie, would prefer she stay home from shopping.
"He told me I'm not allowed to buy anymore Christmas stuff," she said.
But Trate justified it by saying she could buy rope Christmas lights for their camper and that she needed to replace all the wrapping paper she used up this year.
So she headed to Target and some other stores, also looking for deals on calendars and bayberry candles.
At Best Buy, most shoppers were using gift cards or cash they'd received a day earlier, or exchanging presents, Bortz said.
Evan Jackson of Mohnton isn't into video games, but his three children are, so he was at Best Buy helping Alexis, 15, Brock, 13, and Dominic, 12, buy them.
"It's part of their Christmas present, so I wanted to get them here right away," he said.
Boscov's in the Berkshire Mall opened at 7 a.m. and offered gift cards to early shoppers, and manager Bruce Thorud said traffic was about what they expected.
Among the Boscov's shoppers was Dan Witman of Sinking Spring, who said that being there wasn't his idea.
But since some of the clothes he bought his wife, Carol, didn't fit, he accompanied her to Boscov's in the Berkshire Mall to exchange them.
And while he was there, he also helped her pick out some additional garments from the sale racks.
"We're still in the jolly Christmas spirit," he said.
"And he has very good taste," his wife said.
For those who missed out on Wednesday's bargains, it isn't too late to get good deals.
Most Fairgrounds Mall stores that offered post-holiday sales will continue them through New Year's, and the same is true at many other stores, officials said.
The goal is not just to bring in revenue, but to clear shelves as stores prepare to switch to the spring lines, Martin said.
"You'll see New Year's blowouts and promotions through the end of the week," he said. "It's a push to the finish."
Contact Mike Urban: 610-371-5023 or email@example.com.


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The Wooden Canal Boat Society charity shop in Ashton has reopened for the first time since lockdown.
The shop at 173 Stamford Street Central - which had been closed since March due to the coronavirus - is open from 10am to 4pm Mondays to Saturdays.
Of course, there are Covid-19 measures in place, including screens and a one-way system.
The shop opened its doors at 10am on Monday – much to the relief of founder and boatbuilder Chris Leah.
He told Tameside Radio presenter Mark Andrews: “I’m certainly glad to be open again. We actually closed a few days before we were forced to because we just thought it wasn’t safe. Some of our volunteers have underlying health problems and it was just too worrying to carry on. But it’s been a problem having basically no income for months on end.
“It’s the start of getting back to normal. Hopefully the shop will get busy and produce an income to keep the boats going again. Our volunteers have also been raring to go – they enjoy coming and having that purpose.”
There were a number of visitors to the shop on Monday morning after it opened
Unfortunately, furniture won't be accepted at the moment but other donations will be gratefully received by visiting the shop via the rear entrance.
Explaining what the shop sells, Chris said: “What don’t we sell?! Almost whatever people give us to sell, as long as it’s safe and legal. There’s furniture, bric-a-brac, lots of clothes, books. We’ve probably got the biggest second-hand book collection in Tameside. We sell DVDs and even the old VHS videos – there’s still a bit of a market for them.
“We’re trying to get people to bring donations in through the back door, which is on Fleet Street, but if you come to the front door you’ll be directed round there. That’s because we’ve got a system to make things safe. We stack the goods for 72 hours before we open any bags.”
How it looks inside the shop on Stamford Street Central in Ashton
The Wooden Canal Boat Society is a waterway society, which aims to preserve wooden working boats, and also a registered charity.
Recycling trips on the boats are usually one of the ways donations are collected but the last one was back in February and they won’t be starting again any time soon.
Chris said: “I’ve been asked about them recently where every month we went out on the boats down to Droylsden and collect clothes and bric-a-brac from houses down there. Volunteers would come along and have an hour’s boat ride down to Fairfield Junction, go round the houses, knock on the doors and people would give us the stuff.
“But the problem with that is taking a bunch of strangers on a 2m wide boat and then when we get to the other end, knocking on about 300 doors accepting goods from people. The risks of a volunteer being infected are too high at the moment.”
At Portland Basin in Ashton, the Wooden Canal Boat Society has a fleet of six historic wooden canal narrow boats which are used by the public.
Trips have also resumed in a wellbeing boat as a way of helping people to look after their mental health and escape from their problems out on the water.
Chris said: “The fleet is probably the second biggest collection in the country. None of them would exist if it wasn’t for us. The oldest boat was built in 1901 and they are part of the waterway history. But rather than just having them here as museum pieces, we try to use them for the community.
“I’ve mentioned the recycling trips but we also have Hazel, which is a wellbeing boat – that’s to allow people who’ve been suffering with depression and other mental health problems to spend time on the canals.
“Again, that’s restricted at the moment but we can do trips that are socially distanced. Our crew don’t interact with the guests, which is a shame, and we only allow people from the same bubble – so family members or the same household. We’ve got that going again in limited form.”
Listen to Mark's full interview with Chris below.